The List By Dr. Juan Harrison
The List
A good friend, 60ish, just found out he had brain cancer with a short time leash. At least they had enough warning to get the will done and all the business matters settled. It reminded me once again of the brevity of life with all its uncertainties. I added them to our prayer list. I thanked God again for sparing us from an almost incomprehensible mountain to climb. I thought back on my recent last chemo treatment with a positive prognosis and knew once again God had blessed me and spared me for the moment.
Seems like each night as my wife and I settle into bed our prayer list grows longer. Just my Sunday school class list is fairly lengthy. There’s hips, backs, knees, kidneys, just to name a few. Some are starting the process; some are in rehab and hopefully recovering. Sometimes I’ll interrupt our prayer to ask Sheri if I left anyone out. Hope God doesn’t mind my interruptions.
Strangely enough I’ve found it almost automatic when I hear of a situation in need of prayer to just stop and word a brief one. Seems the more I do it the easier and more automatic or natural it feels.
Over the years I’ve found myself doing short bursts of gratitude when God sent me a cool breeze out on a job or spared me from a dangerous fall or a car accident.
The happiest and sweetest part of my day is when I remember to express gratitude and gratefulness for what He has blessed me with. I try to ignore the things I don’t have and focus on all the things I do have. When I look around at all the needs on my prayer list, I’m reminded once again what my rich lonely old maid school classmate saw in my life when she looked into my eyes and said, “You are rich.” If most of us did a quick inventory, a lot more of us would come away with a greater appreciation for all the blessings we do have like family, home, work, food, church, friends and the list goes on.
In these ever more challenging times, the more we express our gratitude to God and others, it seems the more we’re aware of our real riches. It’s easy to complain. Seems like when we stop complaining and increase our thankfulness, seems like what we do have takes on even greater meaning and value. Simply living here in a free land full of plenty is enough to get the grateful wheels turning. Might need to update our prayer lists to include a few more thank yous to go along with all the requests we’re making. He’s listening. A little extra gratitude might make Him smile.
By Dr. Juan Harrison
